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Friday, September 13, 2013

Here is the first post about the lovely time I had at the 6th Annual Jane Austen Festival in Louisville Kentucky. The festival is organized by the Jane Austen Society of Louisville and this is the third year I have attended.

Next year the festival is on July 19th and 20th. If you enjoy Jane Austen or historical costuming, then this is the event for you. It will be the 200th anniversary year for Mansfield Park (May 4th).

I left with my boyfriend, Mr. H, for Louisville on Friday afternoon. I find driving down Saturday morning can be risky with traffic, plus it gives you a night to explore the city. We stayed at the Econo Lodge Downtown. It cost only $71 a night and was close to 4th Street Live. I would recommend this hotel for anyone on a budget, the rooms were small but manageable. Everything was clean and safe. Plus there is a Papa John's right across the street. This made for a great quick dinner before the ball on Saturday.

From Econo Lodge's Website

Dinner was spent at Ramsi's Café on the World on Bardstown Road. Ramsi's is amazing. Take someone that loves to travel the world and put all their interests on the walls and in the menu: that is Ramsi's. There are so many different choices of food. Plus most of the menu is vegan and vegetarian friendly.

Picture from TripAdvisor.com

Picture from ramsiscafe.com

After dinner, Mr. H and I strolled around Bardstown Road. The atmosphere is very electric and eccentric. There was a really interesting bookstore, Carmichael's Bookstore, connected to a coffee shop, Heine Brothers Coffee. Carmichael's offers a large selection of books for an independent bookstore. Plus the staff recommendations are amazing! I really enjoyed the ice tea at Heine Brothers, though the man looked at me like I was crazy when I ordered an unsweetened black ice tea.

Picture from carmichaelsbookstore.com

Picture from heinebroscoffee.com

At 7:00pm, the festival held an English Country Dance practice. This was Mr. H's first time country dancing, but he picked it up really well.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

As many of you know, September 11th is a very important day and sad day in modern America. The terrorist attacks in 2001, kick started a chain of events that changed not only America, but the world forever.Each year, a new generation is born farther and farther away from this devastating attack and do not know a world before the wars with Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria.

Flags on my college campus for 9/11

As a future history teacher, it is important that I and other educators teach our students about September 11th and the consequences that followed the attacks. Below are a few lesson plans and activities that deal with September 11th. Please comment if you have ideas of your own!!

Kindergarten to 2nd Grade:

What is a hero:Student will formulate what they believe a hero is, discover heroes in their own life, and relate this to September 11th by being read the book September 11 (We the People).

3rd Grade to 5th Grade:

A Lens into 9/11: Using photographs and student experiences as a guide to help students write about September 11th.

The heroic actions of passengers on Flight 93: Uses readings, voicemails from the passengers, and pictures to facilitate a discussion on what is a hero and how these passengers were heroes. Use this lesson for students to think what they would have done in this situation.

The Red Cross in the aftermath of 9/11:Students learn about the history of the Red Cross and their involvement with the aftermath of 9/11. There is an optional service project that teachers can do with their students.

6th grade to 8th Grade:

Islamist extremism in the last 20 years: Students research Islamic terrorist attacks of the last 20 years and look at the similarities to the attacks on 9/11. They research the beliefs of the terrorist and how these attacks affect the world as a whole.

Global responses to 9/11: Students compare the first three pages of the book September 11th, 2001. Students will read and analyze how global and national papers reacted to 9/11. They will create their own article on 9/11 from the perspective of another country.

Airport Security Vs. Civil Liberties: Students use articles, videos, and political cartoons to prepare for a silent debate on airport security and if it is protecting us or taking away or civil liberties.

Do you agree that the attacks on September 11th should be taught in school? Are you a teacher and want to share what you have done in your classroom? Have anymore great ideas?
Please comment below!!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

There is officially 74 days and counting till the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who!!! I know many of you are having a viewing party too. Here are some of the ideas that I am planning on incorporating into my party. Please feel free to share your ideas in the comment section.

Invitations:

The invitations to the party will be styled after the blue invitations that the Doctor sends out in "The Impossible Astronaut". Random Creativity has a brilliant blog on how to make the invitations.

Decorations:

The decoration I am going to spend the most time on is turning the front door into the TARDIS. I plan to make it out of blue wrapping paper, black electrical tape, and construction paper.

One can also put a lamented picture of the Face of Boe in a fishbowl. This would be a good table center or side decoration.

Drinks:

Activities:

There are many different activities one can do leading up to the show and during the show.

BBC has printable masks of the flesh, weeping angels, cherub angels, the silence, the master, ood, silurian, peg doll and smiler if you click here. One can print these out for people to take pictures with or if someone forgot a costume.

You can create your own Pin The Bow Tie on the Doctor game. The closest one gets a small prize.

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